Customers' 'Dear Tim' emails have big impact within Apple

Posted:
in General Discussion edited February 2019
Customers' personal emails to Apple CEO Tim Cook actually do get read, and are passed around as employee motivation and inspiration for future features -- particularly within the Apple Health team.

Dear Tim email
Dear Tim email


Even preceding Tim Cook's tenure at Apple, customers have emailed Apple's top brass about their experiences with Apple's products -- good or bad. Sometimes, customers even get responses back in emails or personal phone calls. Tim Cook reaffirmed Apple's commitment to the Mac mini in one of his responses while everyone awaited the future of the mini line.

These "Dear Tim" emails, as they've recently been dubbed, have a much bigger impact within Apple than most would expect.

With the launch of the Apple Watch, which actually had a profound impact on improving or saving people's lives, these emails have increased in volume as customer's share their stories.

Apple Watch Series 4
Apple Watch Series 4


"It was a new day for Apple when the letters started coming in," noted Julz Arny during Apple's recent American Heart Month event at a San Francisco Apple Store.

CNBC outlines the internal process for these emails which involves a personal assistant whose sole job entails reading these received emails according to sources familiar with the process. Emails that are believed to be especially important are forwarded to Cook for personal attention while others are sent to distribution lists of executives on various teams within Apple.

The emails live on further, after being disseminated down into individual teams and even amongst the rank-and-file as motivation.

After the initial launch of Apple Watch, Apple promoted health and fitness features to be one of the most selling points of the device. Internal sources even partially credit "Dear Tim" emails for the promotion of the health features.

Aside from shaping features, the emails are important for morale, according to CNBC. Between Apple's secrecy and the non-customer-facing positions within Apple, it can be difficult for those like engineers to directly hear or see the results of their work.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 36
    This is good news!
    applesnorangeschaickachasmwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 36
    I wonder how many such emails, say, Howard A. Willard III, CEO of Altria Group (formerly known as PhilipMorris), might receive. 
    How do you feel about it, Howard?
    macguiracerhomie3shrave10radarthekatlamboaudi4watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 36
    I believe the Apple Watch & Apples similar health initiatives will help America & the whole world in general. Thats why I utterly hate that countries like India, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh,Argentina & european countries put up tariffs as high as 50% on Apple products.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 36
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    I believe the Apple Watch & Apples similar health initiatives will help America & the whole world in general. Thats why I utterly hate that countries like India, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh,Argentina & european countries put up tariffs as high as 50% on Apple products.
    I think the time is coming when companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google are going to have to decide whether they are American companies or not. There’s an article out there  now about a bunch of Microsoft employees around the world demanding the company end its contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. They say they don’t want to work on weapons for the U.S. military. It has to do with Microsoft’s HoloLens product being adapted for military use. So is Microsoft an American company or not? And if they don’t see themselves as American companies then why should they be protected by America’s government and laws? What if Microsoft had entered into a similar contract with Russia or China’s military? I despise globalization and the one world government some are clamoring for. 
    racerhomie3gilly33watto_cobramaltz
  • Reply 5 of 36
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Some make a difference. Some do not.

    Still no increase is baseline free iCloud tier, from that measly 5 GB. And still no—the feature I want more than any else—cross-platform iMessage. No WhatsApp, no fb mess, just iMessage from my phone and Mac to anyone I out there who wants to download the app. Out of the box messaging. That's all I ask. Yes, it will cost Apple money to run this, but this is not an issue for them. Out of the box device experience should trump everything else.

    Also, iMessage activation sucks (it's unreliable) and it costs money. Switch to Signal-style phone number activation and get rid of passwords for iMessage signing and activation.

    /rant
    edited February 2019
  • Reply 6 of 36
    ClassicGeekClassicGeek Posts: 25unconfirmed, member
    ireland said:

    Also, iMessage activation sucks (it's unreliable) and it costs money. Switch to Signal-style phone number activation and get rid of passwords for iMessage signing and activation.

    Curious, how does activation cost you money when  using passwords? Recall that iMessage does not require a phone number at all. 
    macpluspluswatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 36
    lkrupp said:
    I believe the Apple Watch & Apples similar health initiatives will help America & the whole world in general. Thats why I utterly hate that countries like India, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh,Argentina & european countries put up tariffs as high as 50% on Apple products.
    I think the time is coming when companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google are going to have to decide whether they are American companies or not. There’s an article out there now about a bunch of Microsoft employees around the world demanding the company end its contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. They say they don’t want to work on weapons for the U.S. military. It has to do with Microsoft’s HoloLens product being adapted for military use. So is Microsoft an American company or not? And if they don’t see themselves as American companies then why should they be protected by America’s government and laws? What if Microsoft had entered into a similar contract with Russia or China’s military? I despise globalization and the one world government some are clamoring for. 
    You didn't quote your source, anyhow a quick Internet search and the article source is below:

    Microsoft employees protest US Army contract

    https://thehill.com/policy/technology/431213-microsoft-employees-protest-technology-contract-with-us-army-designed-to

    Excerpt from that article "A group of more than 50 Microsoft employees have signed on to a letter protesting the company's $479 million technology contract with the U.S. Army, saying Microsoft is providing the military with tools "designed to help people kill."

    Approximately 50 Microsoft employees out of 134944 total is 0.04%.
    Nowhere does the article mention around 'around the world'.

    PickUrPoisonsteveauracerhomie3StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 36
    I believe the Apple Watch & Apples similar health initiatives will help America & the whole world in general. Thats why I utterly hate that countries like India, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh,Argentina & european countries put up tariffs as high as 50% on Apple products.
    Interesting! I presume therefore that Pres. Trump (aka Toadstool) is also high on your "really, truly don't like" list, or will be if he acts on his threats, e.g. "Trump told the Wall Street Journal Monday that it’s possible the U.S. will apply new tariffs to Chinese-made consumer tech products like the iPhone. The new tariff could be either 10% or 25%, the president said." (FastComp[any, 26 Nov 2018).
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 36
    bluefire1bluefire1 Posts: 1,301member
    I had an issue with Apple two years ago and emailed Tim Cook. A high level Apple administrator called me on behalf of Tim and worked with me to resolve the complaint.
    The Apple hierarchy really does care about its clients.


    GG1racerhomie3StrangeDaysbonobobsteveauwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 36
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,273member
    lkrupp said:
    I think the time is coming when companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google are going to have to decide whether they are American companies or not [...] And if they don’t see themselves as American companies then why should they be protected by America’s government and laws?
    Boy, there's a lot to unpack in that ball of psychosis, but ... do you mean that "American" companies have to comply with anything the US military wants to do? Like developing nerve agents or other chemical weapons? Do you mean "Americans" shouldn't have the right to protest some of the actions and decisions of their government, or conscientiously object to things they find immoral?

    Are you unaware that US law does not require any societal obligation from corporations (who are people, my friend) beyond a) being based in the US and b) complying with the laws and paying taxes in the US (the latter of which a number of "American" companies -- like Amazon -- don't actually do)? Are you suggesting that constitutional freedoms and other laws should be rolled back to make all of corporate USA simply a tool of the military -- exactly the idea General Dwight Eisenhower warned against?

    Is that your definition of "American?"
    edited February 2019 StrangeDaysfastasleepsteveau
  • Reply 11 of 36
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,273member
    I've noticed over the years that I've (very occasionally) written to Steve and Tim that if your letter is respectful and to the point, there's a good chance you'll get a reply ... even if you're offering [constructive] criticism rather than simply praise. As the article notes, a letter passes over several eyes before it actually gets passed on to Tim or a person in a position to do something about whatever you're writing about, so consider your words, tone, and point carefully if you actually want to be paid attention to. Be polite, be concise, be firm, be persuasive. It works.
    racerhomie3davgregwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 36
    iqatedoiqatedo Posts: 1,822member
    I emailed Tim once and the next day received a nice message back from Dan Whisenhunt. I hope Dan's new life is going well.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 36
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,111member
    I believe the Apple Watch & Apples similar health initiatives will help America & the whole world in general. Thats why I utterly hate that countries like India, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh,Argentina & european countries put up tariffs as high as 50% on Apple products.
    Tariffs on Apple products by European countries? Then why is it cheaper for me to buy them in my European country than in the US if I declare them as a business expense and get the VAT back. Many people don’t understand  that in Europe, the sales tax is included in the price and can be as much as 24%.  
    edited February 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 36
    Perhaps this is where we should send details of security holes we find. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 36
    GabyGaby Posts: 190member
    bluefire1 said:
    I had an issue with Apple two years ago and emailed Tim Cook. A high level Apple administrator called me on behalf of Tim and worked with me to resolve the complaint.
    The Apple hierarchy really does care about its clients.


    @bluefire1 I had the exact same thing a few years back. I Received a phone call informing me that Tim had asked executive relations to get in touch to help the engineers resolve my problem. That call and level of personal service only further cemented my loyalty, and made me feel like I wasn’t just a number representing $$. Even though they are an enormous multinational at this point, they still have many of the values of a small business that cares about the experiences of their clientele. 

    So so when they released AirPods, and they had that real Apple magic quality to them, I made sure to write to thank and congratulate them. 
    edited February 2019 racerhomie3bluefire1watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 36
    I think the time is coming when companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google are going to have to decide whether they are American companies or not.

    They say they don’t want to work on weapons for the U.S. military.

    What if Microsoft had entered into a similar contract with Russia or China’s military?
    From a European point of view, I’d probably  trust the Chinese government much more than I would the U.S. one - certainly the current U.S. administration.

    I think Apple is an amazing company, but only a portion of that is reflective of the U.S. culture and values. Many aspects, such as their personal privacy positioning, are much closer to E.U. values. 
    bonobobmuthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 36
    GabyGaby Posts: 190member
    chasm said:
    lkrupp said:
    I think the time is coming when companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google are going to have to decide whether they are American companies or not [...] And if they don’t see themselves as American companies then why should they be protected by America’s government and laws?
    Boy, there's a lot to unpack in that ball of psychosis, but ... do you mean that "American" companies have to comply with anything the US military wants to do? Like developing nerve agents or other chemical weapons? Do you mean "Americans" shouldn't have the right to protest some of the actions and decisions of their government, or conscientiously object to things they find immoral?

    Are you unaware that US law does not require any societal obligation from corporations (who are people, my friend) beyond a) being based in the US and b) complying with the laws and paying taxes in the US (the latter of which a number of "American" companies -- like Amazon -- don't actually do)? Are you suggesting that constitutional freedoms and other laws should be rolled back to make all of corporate USA simply a tool of the military -- exactly the idea General Dwight Eisenhower warned against?

    Is that your definition of "American?"

    Sounds more like a communist totalitarian regime...
  • Reply 18 of 36
    All Lkrupp is asking for is the type of governmental/corporation support Hitler got in 1940. What could go wrong with that?
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 19 of 36
    Wondering how many emails about the Mac Pro are unread.
    irelandElCapitan
  • Reply 20 of 36
    Without searching, who knows the what the name is of Motorola’s CEO? Samsung? Xiomi or whatever?
    watto_cobra
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